self-aggrandizing

adjective

Definition of self-aggrandizingnext
as in arrogant

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-aggrandizing Nevertheless, the self-aggrandizing and self-congratulations on display in the first three episodes available for review implies humility may be in short supply. — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 14 May 2026 This is, truly, a totally shameless and self-aggrandizing effort on the part of Mayor Trantalis and Commissioner Glassman. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026 As well as lambasting Shell, this often self-aggrandizing filing out in the low-tech Santa Monica Courthouse has innocuous cameos by the likes of Ari Emanuel and Jay Penske, among others. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026 The author characterizes Huntington Beach itself as an inherently self-aggrandizing, wealthy coastal enclave unrepresentative of broader California concerns, dismissing the notion that this affluent beach town should serve as a model for statewide governance or the state’s future direction. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-aggrandizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-aggrandizing
  1. arrogant
  2. vainglorious
  3. egotistic
  4. self-promoting
  5. conceited
  6. bumptious
  7. smug
  8. high-and-mighty
Adjective
  • West Germany, arrogant attitude adjusted, pounded Chile, 4-1.
    — David j. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
  • Lasso, in his initial introduction to audiences, wasn’t the warm, pun-loving, inspirational coach audiences would eventually embrace through Apple +, but a slightly arrogant buffoon parodying the average American sports fan.
    — Charles Moss, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
  • Melodramatic and vainglorious, moody and capricious, a fidgety, neurotic hypochondriac, Stalin was a bundle of appalling contradictions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of vainglorious
Adjective
  • Éanna Hardwicke, meanwhile, is similarly impressive as the hothead whose national pride manifests itself in the most egotistical ways.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Is this the same guy who Real Madrid fans think is too posh to press, too egotistical to work for his team-mates, too distracted by fame to bleed for the shirt?
    — Matt Slater, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of egotistic
Adjective
  • This approach fosters genuine respect, trust, and loyalty, offering a powerful alternative to today's loud, self-promoting culture.
    — Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Critics call social media posts self-promotion While the president praised her as a fighter, critics called out her self-promoting social media use, including videos showing her in tactical gear at raids with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of self-promoting
Adjective
  • Avoid Burying Praise in Negatives To avoid making children too conceited, parents might bury praise in the midst of negatives.
    — Wayne Parker, Parents, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The Pitt definitely feels like the type of workplace where conceited doctors-in-training are pretty much guaranteed to quickly get knocked down a peg.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of conceited
Adjective
  • In public, Newsom speaks often and openly about his errors, fortifying his image as a bumptious, slightly hapless victim of his own enthusiasms.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
  • The Star of India’s intensely curlicued provenance and bumptious post-sale 20th-century history is a Baedeker for all who might aspire to purchase the Pure Land, should it ever be formally or publicly offered for sale.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of bumptious
Adjective
  • Historian Sandgruber describes how Alois Hitler wrote his 1895 letters in a deeply smug, anti-clerical manner that overestimated his abilities.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026
  • Li at times plays Cola with a smug impetuousness that belies her naivety about this world to a satisfying degree.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 June 2026
Definition of smug
Adjective
  • That sweet spot between professionalism, entertainment and high-and-mighty disapproval?
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • Lots of high-and-mighty people populate Tyrrell’s recollections.
    — John Fund, National Review, 26 Nov. 2023
Definition of high-and-mighty

Browse Nearby Words

self-aggrandizement
self-aggrandizing
self-analyses
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Cite this Entry

“Self-aggrandizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-aggrandizing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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